#the pink skirt he stole from nancy

[katimanki]

Putting characters in outfits is my only talent. 😔

I gave up o coming up with design for his T's, so pretend one of them is some band T or has like star wars logo or something

[bellaramseysgf]

Hate me (S.H)

Warning(s); angst without a happy ending,mentions of smut,slight mention of eddie x reader,lowkey asshole Steve,physical fight.

Pairing(s); Steve Harrington x (Afab) Fem! Reader.

Summary; you hate Steve Harrington, because he stole something from you and never gave it back. Your heart.

A/n; I’m in a mood so just enjoy this😅

“Pleaseeeeee” Eddie tugged on your arm and you huffed “Eddie quit it. I’m not going to Nancy wheelers stupid birthday party” he pouted “but I was invited! For once! You have to come as my date.” You shook your head “no, Eddie. Nothing you say or do will make me go to that girls party.” Eddie took that as a challenge. “Really? Nothing?” You nodded flipping through the records.

“What about early access to the new queen record?” You looked at him “that could get you fired….you’re that willing huh?” He nodded “but why me? What about Chrissy I’m sure she’d love to go” Eddie shook his head “see this way we both get what we want, you get to show off for steve and I get to remind Chrissy that if she wants me she needs to say so it’s perfect” you tensed up at the mention of Steve’s name.

“Steves gonna be there?” You asked and Eddie realized his mistake very quickly “no! NO! You can’t bail now! You agreed!” You glared “you know I hate Steve. I’d rather fight monsters again then see fucking Steve Harrington” Eddie hissed “harsh, he’s not that bad” you scoffed “not that bad? Edward munson do we need to go down senior break again?” Eddie’s face sunk in at the mention of his full first name. “You’ll barely see him! And I won’t leave your side and if…if you need to leave we can! Please they’re finally accepting me as a friend I don’t wanna fuck this up!” Eddie looked at you with those big brown puppy eyes and you groaned.

“One condition. I get my pick of your dnd dice.” Eddie narrowed his eyes “but…some of them are sentimental!” You shrugged “fine!” You smiled and he shook your hand.

Eddie owned up and let you pick through his dice, you kept away from the ones you knew he loved. There was a particular one you wanted. It was red and pink and the numbers were painted with black ink. It reminded you of mars so you took it and he was upset but not for long.

You held up to your side too and showed up with Eddie to the skating rink. Eddie wore his usual tight black jeans, swapping his hellfire club shirt for a regular Van Halen T-shirt. You tied his hair back into a bun for him. You however were matching him wearing a black skirt,fish nets underneath and the same Van Halen shirt. You and Eddie went to a lot of concerts together. He let you steal the chain off his jeans to add to your skirt and you had to say you two as a couple didn’t look half bad.

You walked in with Eddie’s arm slung around your waist. It didn’t take long for you to remember just how annoying her birthday parties were with all the pink and pastel colors. They physically hurt your eyeballs. You didn’t hate Nancy at all she was very sweet,kind to you throughout all of high school.

Of course once you see Nancy though you see Steve too, the pair of you lock eyes for a minute and you feel your chest burn tears already pricking your eyes. You turn around in Eddie’s hold “Eddie I don’t think I can do this.” He dipped his head down as if he was trying to block out the world around you. “Yes you can, him and Nancy aren’t even together anymore you have a chance” you shook your head “I don’t want a chance. Every time I look at him I just see it all over again.” Your breath was shaking and Eddie instantly felt guilt for practically forcing you here.

“I just need some air, Eddie I’m really sorry” you separated from him and left back out the front doors. You felt like you couldn’t breathe seeing him again just brought all the pain and hurt you managed to stuff down right back out. You didn’t want to ruin Eddie’s night, didn’t want him to not have fun but you didn’t think you could stand near Steve without breaking down.

You were still filled with so much hurt and anger towards him. You had never wished bad karma on anyone but Steve because he deserved it. You walked around the side of the building trying keep it together so you wouldn’t ruin your make up. You leaned against the wall taking shallow breaths trying to get yourself to just calm down. It burned, your eyes, your arms, your legs,chest. It all burned with anger and hurt and it wouldn’t stop.

Eddie stood there watching you walk out instant regret filling him. Until, Harrington walked over “hey, she alright? She looked sick” Eddie felt anger bubble inside of him. How the fuck could he be so Fucking stupid how could he now see how badly he hurt her. Eddie wanted to punch him, pummel him until he was a bloody mess. “You’re shitting me.” He said and Steve looked back at him confused.

“You have the nerve to ask if she’s okay? Like you ever fucking cared about her.” Steve was taken aback by him “what? What’re you talking About?” Steve questioned. Eddie didn’t see you enter again but he was already going off so what’s the point in stopping now. “What do I mean? God! You really are a pretensions douchebag. You want to care now? Now? What about senior year huh? Why didn’t you care then?” Eddie shoved Steve back and now he was drawing more attention.

All at once Eddie didn’t care about making a good impression, he didn’t care that Chrissy was watching and he sure as hell didn’t care that he was gonna ruin his chances of being friends.

“What? She’s good enough to fuck, good enough to keep your dick warm but not good enough to be cared for?” Steve caught himself once Eddie pushed him “excuse me?” “You think we don’t know? Don’t know that you and her used to hook up, that you used her just to get back with Nancy?” Steve stayed quiet after that “you fucking used her when you knew how badly she loved you! How much she wanted to be with you. You didn’t even end it properly! You just show up with Nancy again and act as if she meant fucking nothing!” Eddie shoved him again and you finally stepped in.

“Eddie, stop…don’t do this. Not on her birthday.” You wrapped your arms around Eddie’s arm and tugged him away from Steve. Chrissy was now on the other side of Eddie helping you to pull him away. “Cmon guys let’s just go.” Chrissy said dropping her hand to hold Eddie’s. You turned “y/n I-” “don’t!” You interrupted him tears brimming “you’ve done enough, Steve. Just leave us alone” you,Eddie and Chrissy all left after that.

Eddie apologized profusely and you told him it was okay because it was. You spent the next few days working on your re-register for college and just stayed away from everyone. You weren’t trying to hide or isolate yourself but you just wanted to be left alone for a few days.

“Y/n! Your friend is here!” When your mom yelled up the stairs you sighed knowing eventually eddie wouldn’t let you stay inside forever. You slid off you before and made your way around to your stairs and to your surprise it was actually Robin. Robin was your friend yes, but the pair of you stopped hanging out once everything with Steve happened. “Hey..” you said and she waved. “I wanna talk if you’re okay with that?” You nodded “sure.” Robin came upstairs with you and sat down on your bed.

“First off, I wanna say I’m sorry for not trying better to be your friend after what happened. I didn’t mean to take a ‘side’ I just saw Steve more and I should’ve made a better effort to see you.” You nodded “I came here to tell you that Steve’s really upset with himself. I’m not here to try to convince you to go fix things but I think you should know he didn’t realize he had hurt you.” You sighed “I know he didn’t realize, but when you spent 90% of your time with someone and you kiss them and fuck them how could you just acting like that didn’t happen not hurt.” Robin nodded “it’s Steve, he’s an idiot” you let out a soft laugh.

“Steve really does feel bad. He’s been crying and won’t come in to work,Nancy even said he threw up after you and Eddie left.” You felt your heart pang with sorrow for him. “I know what he did was wrong, it was fucked up and I wouldn’t forgive him either. However I know you still love him.” You smiled softly “i also know that you miss him and that you know he deserves a chance to apologize.” You rolled your eyes “I hate you Buckley” Robin smile “yeah,I hate you too” the pair of you hugged and you accepted what you needed to do.

You could tell Steve was shocked when you showed up at his door at 1am. You really just came to see if he was as broken up as Robin said and he was. You could see the baggy red marks under his eyes and his hair was a mess not fixed how it normally was. You fully expected him to slam the door in your face but he let you inside without saying anything.

You had spent the whole drive over planning what you were gonna say to him. You turned around to talk to Steve but he just hugged you, his arms wrapped around you as you froze in place. He hadn’t hugged you in close to 3 years, now the fact you avoided him didn’t help. It took a minute to settle into the feeling of him so close again before you slowly allowed your self to relax and hug him. He still smelled of the same cologne, still hugged the same way using his whole body to engulf you. It felt normal,felt easy, he felt like home. You quickly pulled back and pushed him away.

“I didn’t come here for you to hang all over me.” Steves face sunk even lower at your tone “I came because Robin said you were fucking yourself up so I came to tell you to quit it.” Steve sighed “y/n I’m sorry. Really I didn’t realize how much you cared or-” “oh, shut up” you interrupted. “You knew. I know you knew because I overheard you talking to Nancy about it steve. I’m not a idiot.” Steve chewed on his lip.

“You heard us?” He questioned and you nodded “i heard you tell her that you wouldn’t ever want me like you did her, that even if we did date you’d only be thinking about her, that you knew I really liked you but you just didn’t care.” Reciting what he said made your heart hurt, he really said such awful things and you still love him.

“I was young then and stupid I didn’t know then how much you meant to me” you nodded “I meant so much? How come you never wrote to me like our friends did? If you cared so much why didn’t you reach out? You knew where to” Steve shrugged “because you don’t really care Steve. You can’t have Nancy so now you wanna be with me, that isn’t happening.” He shook his head “no! That’s not true I really care about you!” You sighed “I’m not saying you don’t. You just don’t care like I did.” Steve paused. “Did…? You don’t…you don’t love me anymore?” His eyes looked hurt, pained and you almost told him the truth.

“No. I don’t.” You said with as much confidence as you could muster. “God…” he sniffled “you’re just like Nancy” “excuse me?” You questioned. “I’m only good enough when you want me not when I want you.” You narrowed your eyes “you’re Fucking with me right?” Steve shrugged “let me make something clear before you run around playing victim to our friends. I loved you. I wanted to be with you. I let you take so much of my innocence, including my virginity because I loved you Steve. I put my all into our relationship. If you needed me I was there,if you didn’t I gave you space. I loved you so honestly and whole heartedly.” Steve looked down away from you.

“Who wasn’t there? Nancy. Who never gave you space? Nancy. Who got drunk and broke your heart? Nancy Fucking wheeler. I’m nothing like her. How dare you say I am! I loved you! I really did, but you just threw it all away. You crushed my heart when you were supposed to protect it and I’m in the wrong? What were you expecting that I just hold onto the hope that some day you’d love me enough? That i would be good enough?” You sighed “well,I lost that hope the day you looked me in my face and said I meant nothing to you.” You shoved past him and walked back out to your car angrier then ever as you sped away.

The next few months of summer were spent outside of Hawkins and with your dad in California. You didn’t try to contact Steve once keeping up with him through your friends though you learned that Nancy had broken up with Johnny again and gotten back with Steve.

Once you were back in town you made it a point to check on Johnny and he was pretty hurt. You comforted him as best you could and even told him he should try to come to your college which he applied to and got in. Eddie and Chrissy didn’t end up together she got back with Jason so you now had two boys who got their heart broken. The three of you became almost inseparable and while Eddie said he never would he applied and got into your college as well. The three of you were set to start next semester and you were the most excited you’d ever been.

Robin reached out here and there but you knew Steve meant more to her and you weren’t angry about it. Nancy pretty much just acted like you didn’t exist which you didn’t care. Everything was pretty good,you were getting over Steve slowly but surely.

Everything came to a boiling point though one night at Eddie’s trailer. You and Johnny had came over to smoke and just hang out, when you all three saw Steve’s car pull in you didn’t even glance a second time. You all assumed he was there to see Billy who you weren’t ever really friends with,he knew of what happened but you were sure it was Steve twisted version.

You giggled at Eddie as he passed the blunt to Johnny and watched as Billy came outside. Nancy and Steve both climbed from his car and then max climbed out afterwards. He drove her home, that’s sweet.

The three of you weren’t paying anymore attention then the other but when Steve started to walk over with Billy and Nancy trailing behind you knew something bad was about to happen. “Since when did you smoke?” Steve asked and you just shrugged “we all need to talk because you three ignoring everyone is breaking friendships.” He stood there hands on his hips talking to you all like you were some kid. “Dude, just cmon.” Billy pulled at his arm but Steve shook it off.

Eddie was about to snap and you put your hand on his arm standing up and walking off the small porch to Steve. “You wanna do this in front of your girlfriend Harrington?” He rolled his eyes “nothing she hasn’t seen before” you nodded “true I guess. We aren’t ignoring anyone we talk to them all. In fact Dustin was just at my house last night with his mom for dinner. We..” you started looking back to wave at the other two men. “Just don’t talk to you.” You said simply “why? Because you’re bitter?” You shrugged “because I’m over it” Steve huffed out w laugh.

“Over it?” You nodded “do I need to clarify? I’m over you Steve. Is that better? Clearer for you?” He crossed his arms “so, you just what..? Fuck these dudes until you stopped thinking about me? Like a fucking slut.” Now both Johnny and Eddie were up and off the porch as well. “Maybe I did.” You said with a shrug “someone might as well make me feel good” you prodded and Steve just stared at you.

“I have something they don’t though, your virginity.” He said it like it like was some sort of trophy. You laughed though and couldn’t help the way he looked taken aback at why you’re laughing. “Yeah well they both have something you don’t.” Steve nodded “and what’s that?” “Me.” You stated plainly. “Why don’t you guys just go, you’re starting unnecessary drama” Johnny said. “Technically you’re on my property so I suggest you get the fuck off it” Eddie added both of them stepping to move around between you and Steve.

“And if I don’t?” Steve antagonize, Eddie glanced back at you as if to make sure what he was about to do was okay. You shrugged, wasn’t your fault anymore. Eddie turned back around to give him one more chance stepping up so he was now in Steve’s face “I said, I suggest you get the fuck off it Harrington.” Steve wasn’t backing down though “which I replied with what’re you gonna do if I don’t?” Steve shoved Eddie and you tugged Johnny back before he got caught in the middle of it.

Sure enough Eddie threw a punch making Steve stumble but not knocking him over,a second punch did the trick though and Eddie was just on him. One punch after another probably breaking his nose in some fashion as Billy tried to pull him off. “You aren’t gonna do anything??” Nancy asked and you looked at her “he did it to himself.” You watched her roll her eyes and you huffed “Eddie. That’s enough” he stopped and got up shoving Billy away from him as he walked over to you. “Stay the fuck away from us” Eddie spat out as the trio of you walked inside leaving a bloody Steve on Eddie’s front lawn.

[robinofgothamcity]

"where did you go? i miss you so, i'm all alone, you're up there, you're up in the sky...."

♡ character: eddie munson

♡ pronouns used: she / her

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / angst-to-fluff i promiseeee

"FUCK YOU EDDIE!" you screamed as you stared down at the long black haired boy, "i didn't start any stupid rumors, we've been friends for how long?" eddie chuckled in disbelief, "it's one thing to not want to be my friend anymore but it's another to lie straight to my face!" he replied.

you laughed, shaking your head and opening the door, "if you think that i'm lying to you, fine but you know i've always been here for you. i was there since the day you moved in with your uncle and i'd never say anything about you that would hurt your feelings," you screamed, tears going down your face.

both you and eddie were panting from the amount of yelling you were doing, "if you're jealous or upset because i'm gaining the tiniest bit of popularity by being friends with steve and jason, that's your fault, not mine so don't start projecting that onto me. plus, i'm your girlfriend, you should be happy that i made the cheer team!"

"so that's it? we're breaking up? how original ( your name )."

eddie wanted to continue the argument but he could see the way you were screaming in the car out of pure frustration and anger. he knew you needed to let off steam and so did he. the argument was getting more and more intense and at some point, he knew the two of you would end up apologizing and forgiving each other.

+

that day never came. two years later and the both of you had to yet say anything to each other. you ignored him whenever you saw him approaching and each time he called your house, you'd yell to your mom that you weren't speaking to him and to let it ring.

you got a bit more popular considering you befriended chrissy and got closer to steve not long after. being that you and chrissy were on the cheer team and steve invited you to parties that jason or ken were throwing, you climbed up the social ladder fairly quick. you weren't as much of a prick as jason was and if there was one thing you never antagonized, it was the rumors that started to spread about eddie.

rumors about him being a freak or him being a satanist never formed as truths, at least to you. you had known eddie since elementary school and although eddie did like music like metallica or iron maiden, he was never the freak they all thought he was. he was one of the sweetest boys you had known.

eddie on the other hand hated to see you so popular. not that he hated you but hated how many guys were around you. if it wasn't steve, it was jason, and if it wasn't jason, it was ken or some freshman trying to gain popularity. your face was plastered around the school always promoting the cheer team with chrissy and my god, he thought you had gotten more gorgeous over the years.

hawkin's high school was now in full swing for spirit week. you, chrissy, and a few others picked the themes for this year and you were arriving on the day you had picked. cowboy/western. you wanted to go all out with the cowboy hat and boots. your family had a bunch of western wear from back home so all you had to do was remake it to fit you. you stole your uncles tejana hat and your moms fringed jacket. pairing it with a squared shirt and a jean skirt, you felt like you were back home and visiting family.

"howdy," you greeted all of your friends. they all couldn't help but giggle at how you looked, "really putting the yee haw into it, huh?" steve said. you rolled your eyes as you fixed the hat, "it wouldn't be spirit week if i wasn't," you replied. chrissy immediately ran up to you, showing off her pink cowboy hat in excitement.

steve had his arm fixed around your shoulder as nancy passed by you, giving you a sweet compliment on the outfit. you thanked her as you noticed the yearbook team approaching you, "mind if we take a picture of you and chrissy by the front of the school?" he asked. you and chrissy agreed excitedly as the two of you ran to the front of the school doors and quickly fixed your hair.

eddie was now walking in as he saw you and chrissy posing for the photo. you were holding your hat up and smiling at chrissy as she smiled at the camera. eddie stayed in his place, smiling softly at how happy you looked. you were still as gorgeous as ever and now all of you were about to graduate college.

he had heard of you moving a few towns over for it and a huge part of him wanted to follow. eddie still was very protective over you and whenever he heard rumors about you floating around, he made sure to cut them off before they got any worse. there had been a day eddie purposely beat up a kid behind the bleachers for claiming that he got into bed with you. he left the poor kid bleeding and he was pretty sure he broke his nose.

"hey check it out, eddie munson is looking over at you," chrissy whispered. you gave her a look before turning to where she was pointing at, "oh, i'm pretty sure he was looking somewhere else. i don't think he would acknowledge someone like me."

"ladies, we're going to be late for first period if you don't hurry up," you heard robin say. you immediately thanked the boy before going to your locker to get your bag, "robin, guess what? eddie munson was checking her out," chrissy said moving her eyebrows a suggestive way.

"give it up chrissy, eddie is the last person who'd be checking me out," you replied making sure to emphasize that eddie was not your friend. as much as you missed him, you were sure he still hated you as much as he did two years prior, "now lets get to literature, no?" you asked as steve joined up with you.

the four of you happened to have a few classes together so it wasn't unusual to see all of you walking in together. what you also knew that this was one of six classes that you shared with eddie. you were surprised to see him back again this year considering he was supposed to be a 1985 graduate but you didn't question it.

you sat in between chrissy and robin as the teacher had moved steve to the front of the class for never paying attention. eddie was already in class when all of you arrived. you immediately put your bag down and sat on top of steve's desk, not recognizing the agonizing look on eddie's face. oh how he wished that you could've been sitting on his desk as he spoke to you on his latest campaign.

"hey, what are you doing tonight? we all wanted to catch a movie at the drive in," steve asked his three favorite people. you sighed in defeat, "can't. i have to stay after school to work on a project for history after cheer practice," you muttered. they all sighed in temporary sadness but knew that senior year projects were important.

both you and chrissy were working on a new cheer for the upcoming basketball season and were running around like chickens with your heads cut off because you still hadn't gotten the routine down.

most of the day was left for you to try and figure out what would become of the new cheer routine. it was hard to figure it out when everyone was still causing slip ups and you were working sometimes through the night to make it easier for the team. chrissy had gotten the routine down in a few others but most of the team were still struggling.

you walked out of the locker room to refill your water bottle before practice when you saw eddie walking into a classroom. you stepped towards the room to see him talking to a few kids and opening up a notebook. you knew that notebook from anywhere. you had given it to him when he first began playing DnD and you were surprised he was still using it.

"hey, c'mon, we're about to be late!" chrissy scream. you nodded, giving eddie one last look before leaving. eddie had noticed you looking at him and a part of him wanted to call out your name, "dude, you good?" lucas asked. eddie nodded, not saying anything but his mind still occupied on you.

+

after practice, you stayed with a few girls to practice it a bit more. it was now eddie's turn to look over at you from the small glass window on the gym door. you were talking to a few of your teammates, a bit animatedly as you were hitting the table to get your point across. eddie could tell you were being serious about it but the way you look at the moment had his heart racing.

the stupid white cheer skirt that matched with the top made him fantasize about you giving him a show with it but he quickly discarded those thoughts as you dismissed your teammates.

you knew the library was closed by now which meant you'd have to work on your project over the weekend. you left the gym, grumbling about how annoyed you were but you knew you were just hungry. you put your things into the trunk of your car and started it when you heard a whirring noise.

great.

sometimes your car tended to stay stranded when the night got too cold. you knew your mom wasn't home and your siblings were probably too busy to pick up the phone.

"fuck," you whispered to yourself as you tried to turn on the car again.

you growled when you realized that you needed to give it up and just start the walk home. you opened the trunk once again and took your things out before starting the journey. indiana really hated you on these particular cold days. your house wasn't exactly far but the ten minute car ride would probably end up a thirty minute walk.

eddie was making his way home when he saw you walking on the dirty road. it was dangerous to be walking home alone and given that it was hawkins, he knew it was worse. without much thought, he pulled over to the side in front of you and got out.

"hey, what're you doing walking alone at eight at night?" he asked. you sighed, "my car wouldn't start and no one would be able to get me so i really didn't have much of a choice but to walk to school," you replied as you continued to walk. you didn't want to get your hopes up with this conversation.

eddie sighed, "get in, i'll drop you off. i don't want you walking alone," he stated. you could tell he was being serious and he wasn't allowing you much time to think about it, "fine," you said as you opened up the back of his van and chucked your things inside before getting into the passenger seat.

you remained quiet for most of the ride until you saw the small picture on the end of the his dash board, "oh my god, eddie, you still have this?" you asked as you took it off. you were wearing eddie's jean jacket as he was holding you up bridal style. it was your freshman year and eddie's sophomore year. he had just won his first campaign for the Hellfire Club and he was beyond ecstatic about it.

"yeah, kinda just kept it as i didn't want to just throw it out."

the more you stared at the photo, the more you started to get choked up. you both looked so happy in the picture and a part of you wanted that back. eddie was confused as to why you didn't say anything else but he could see the way your hands were shaking and how you were trying to not cry.

"hey, what's the matter?" he asked. you held the photo with such strength that it was genuinely surprising you, "fuck, it's nothing," you replied. he moved over to the side of the road and asked for you to look at him.

you shook your head no but eddie's index finger lifted your chin up. your cheeks were running warm and your eyes were bloodshot red. he could sense what was making you so emotional but before he could say anything, you let out a sob as you held the picture close to your chest.

"sweetheart, it's okay," he whispered. you shook your head no, "no, no it's not. that argument was so fucking stupid edward. we haven't talked in nearly three years because we're so fucking stubborn," you yelled. eddie sighed and grabbed the picture, "what went wrong? we were perfect for each other."

eddie nodded and turned over to you to wipe the mascara that was staining your face, "babe, calm down. what happened that night is a thing of the past and it was dumb. we were too young to actually communicate our feelings out and you shouldn't be so upset about it anymore, he replied. you agreed but didn't say anything, "you don't think i wanted to approach you and just talk to you again? i wanted to so badly but look at who your friends with. jason and steve would not take lightly to me."

you shook your head.

"jason maybe but steve, robin, and chrissy would understand. they're my best friends eddie and if they knew that i loved you, they would have given you a chance," you explained. the van stayed silent as metallica played lowly in the background. you knew 'master of puppets' was his favorite song to play on the guitar and he played it constantly, "i would have taken you back no issue," you continued.

eddie chuckled as he grabbed your hand and brought you over to sit on his lap. you were hesitant on doing so but soon enough, you got comfortable as you laid your head on his shoulder, "you could have came up to me too you know," he said.

you hid your head into his shoulder still trying to control your crying as he patted your hair as an attempt to calm you down, "come on baby, it's going to be okay. you know i always hated to see you cry," you hugged him closer, "i missed you so much munson. i miss playing DnD, late night car rides, and you dedicating your songs to me," you whispered.

"i know baby but i don't think i'm good for you anymore. you're going up for school soon and i don't think you want some freak to follow along," you scoffed at his confession, "don't put ideas into your head eddie. you're always good for me. you were my soulmate. you promised me by eighteen we'd be married."

that statement always wilded you out but eddie had always told you that the minute you both were of age, he'd take you away to get married. at first you were shocked but once you understood how serious he was, you were just as on board with the idea. you loved eddie enough to get married. he always talked about how he wanted to take your last name so he could get rid of that wretched munson name so everything of his past could stay in the past.

"that offer is still on the table darling. i never stopped loving you. you should know that," he confessed as he played with your fingers. you stared at him with tear filled eyes, "really? even though we haven't spoken in two almost three years?" you asked.

eddie nodded as he took off the ring that he had on his left finger and presented it to you. you stared at him, confused as all hell at what he was about to do.

"i promise you the day we graduate, we can run to that damn courthouse and get married. no one but me, you, and a damn witness," he said with such confidence in his voice, "all you have to do is take this ring and never remove it again."

you lifted your hand shakily grabbed it from him but before you could, he slipped it onto your left ring finger, "we'll have to get it resized until i can afford the ring you deserve," he said. you couldn't help but chuckle as you grabbed his cheeks and gave him the long awaited kiss, "eddie munson, i love you so damn much," you whispered.

eddie scoffed, "don't you mean eddie ( last name )? i told you i'm taking your last name darling," you giggled again as you agreed, "so does that mean we're engaged now?" you asked. eddie nodded yes as you let out a scream of enjoyment, "holy shit, wait till chrissy and robin find out. they're going to freak! we'll need a witness and you need a best man even if it is a courthouse wedding!" you rambled.

eddie stared at you, love written all over his face as he stayed silent to let you talk, "well, lets get you home. my fiancée doesn't need to get grounded now," he said starting his car again. you squealed at the sound of him saying you were his fiancée but you didn't mind one bit.

being eddie munson's fiancée sounded awful to literally anyone else in hawkin's but to you, that sounded like the best thing in the world. you had been dreaming about this since you were fourteen and in a short few months, you'd be officially married to the man you agreed to marry at fourteen.

you kissed his cheek every few seconds as you stared down at your ring. eddie grabbed your hand, the hand where your ring was and kissed it, "forever," he whispered before kissing it again, "forever," you replied giving him another kiss on the cheek.

now you were going to have to deal with telling chrissy, robin, and steve that not only did you have a boyfriend but you were engaged to be married.

[jack-of-aces]

“Say it. Say it out loud.”

Three teens stood by the edge of the forest in the setting sun. Tony, the speaker, was a pale boy in a leather jacket, with greased back hair that implied he had motorcycle keys and a comb in his pocket.

“Tony, Nance, come on you two. This isn’t funny.”

Asher, Tony’s boyfriend, stood between the other two. He had messy, blond hair and tanned skin. He wore a small pink scarf and a flowing pink skirt that had a poodle design sewn into it, looking to all the world like he belonged in the last century.

“You’re a vampire.”

Nancy, the speaker, had dark skin and frizzy black hair in ponytails. She wore overalls over a striped shirt and a thick pair of glasses. Her backpack was covered in pins proclaiming every one of her political opinions under the sun.

“Guilty as charged.” Tony dipped his head in a mocking bow. Asher put his hands up in exasperation.

“And you chose to spend your eternity in public high school?”

“Well it wasn’t my first choice, but when you’re permanently 17, there aren’t exactly a shit ton of options.”

“Seventeen year olds can be in college.”

“Oh. Yeah. Let me just reach into my endless well of money so I can pay tuition for the next forever. I can see the headlines now.” Tony put his hands out, as if gesturing to a billboard. “‘Teenage prodigy studying at college for hundredth year in a row.’ Nothing suspicious about that.”

Asher interjected into their debate. “Nance, trust me. I’ve already argued this with him, he’s had decades to fine tune his points.”

Something clicked in Nancy’s head. “Decades to fine tune his points? Asher, get away from him.” She pulled Asher towards herself protectively. “He’s preying on you.”

“I’m what?” Tony asked.

“He’s what?” Asher asked at the same time.

“I can’t believe you’d romance someone a fraction of your age!” Nancy put herself between Asher and Tony. “He’s worrying about what to wear to prom, and you probably personally remember the Louisiana Purchase.”

“Actually I was turned in the 50s. But that’s not the—“

“And another thing—“ Nancy started, before Asher put a hand on her shoulder to silence her.

“Nance, it’s alright. I’m a vampire too.” He pulled on his lip to reveal a fang. “We were dating before we turned. We’re the same age.” Asher thought for a moment. “Well. Almost. Tony’s a year older.”

“Oh.” Nancy was taken aback by this reframing of the facts. There was an awkward pause for a moment. “Sorry about assuming the worst.”

“It’s fine! You were just looking out for me. But no need to worry. We’re both 50s teens.” He twirled to watch his skirt in the wind, walking to stand next to Tony. “I never could let go of the fashion. Or the boys.” Asher stole a quick kiss from Tony as he added the last part.

“So. The 50s. That means you probably weren’t cornered on a foggy cobblestone street. How did you. . . You know. . .”

“It’s a funny story actually, someone—“ Asher’s tone strongly suggested that that ‘someone’ was Tony “—joined his first biker’s gang, and—“

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Tony blushed slightly, flipping up the collar of his jacket.

“—It was actually a front for a vampire coven. He brought me to initiation for moral support and they bit us both.” Asher pulled down his scarf slightly to reveal an old scar from a vampire bite.

“The coven is gone now.” Tony took up the story, probably to heal some of his pride. “I turned them in to a few hunters after being turned. They’re fine letting vampires exist if we’re not hurting anyone.”

“Cool. Cool.” Nancy nodded.

It was silent for a moment too long. Nancy reached an internal decision.

“Since I exposed you two’s secrets, it’s only fair I expose one of mine.”

Asher was quick to reassure. “Nance, you really don’t have to—“

“No. It’s only fair.” Nancy made it clear that this was the end of discussion.

“Go on,” Tony prompted.

“I’m actually a werewolf.” Nancy held one arm in her hand shyly. “You better not think it’s weird, or pull up some kind of feud bullshit at me.”

Asher and Tony exchanged a glance, and Asher smiled.

“I think it’s nifty.”

This story is also available on Wattpad!

[angstyaches]

I'm literally gonna scream this is sooo cool - also shayne would show up in his docs 100% but he'd rock the look so there is that lmao

would you write a drabble with that scenario maybe?? rin in that dress has to become reality aaaah

-em

This was after I made a post about an idea I had, for Charlie and Shayne to match their ties to Rin’s dress so she wouldn’t feel like she was alone.

It’s not exactly a drabble and there may end up being a part two; but here it is! In my country, we have a party called a debs instead of prom, but for StW, I’m just going to call it their grad ball.

___

Rin woke with a heavy ache in her gut that she couldn’t quite place straight away. There was none of the buzzing electricity in her veins like when she woke up nervous before an exam, so it couldn’t be that.

Through the heavy fog of sleep, she reached out to slap the snooze option on her phone as it buzzed, and shoved it further away on her bedside locker.

There was movement in the house; by now, the kitchen was probably smelling like coffee and toast, her mother would have opened all the curtains, and her father would be playing the news on the vintage-style radio they’d gotten him last Christmas.

The day would be in full swing by now.

Rin grunted and tugged the duvet up over her head, pulling her knees closer to her chest, the swell of fear rising up in her belly with every passing second.

Because this wasn’t a normal day.

It was the day of the grad ball.

Jeez, Rin thought to herself as she felt how hard her heart was beating, how much of a wreck am I going to be on my freaking wedding day? The thought made the dread so much worse that she had to quickly shake it out of her head. The comparison didn’t seem to make today any easier to face into, however.

The knock at her door made her jump, and the fright made any chance of an extra few minutes of sleep slip away.

“You up, love?” Claire called through the door. “We should be at Caitlin’s by ten.”

Rin groaned and lifted her head. “I thought the appointment was at eleven?”

“It is, but she’s going to be slammed today! If we’re late, we’re out.”

And god forbid I went to the ball without any bobby pins or glitter spray in my hair, Rin thought, heavily throwing back the duvet. It was already weighing enough on her mother that she was going to the ball without a date. She was the only one in her friend group who didn’t have a boyfriend, aside from Katie, and even Katie had roped one of the hurling team guys into being her date. Rin had opted to show up alone rather than force herself to link up with someone for the entire night; however, now that the day had come, she was starting to second-guess herself.

Just stop thinking about it, she told herself. You’re gonna psyche yourself out.

She felt her way around her room on muscle memory alone, not wanting to engage her brain in any more thought until she absolutely had to. She wrestled herself into a pair of black leggings and a striped jump with a wide neckline, and stopped by her mirror.

She was reaching for her eyeliner before she remembered she would be getting her makeup done professionally after she’d had her hair done, which made her want to curl up and die.

Leaving the eyeliner pen where it was, Rin forced a smile in the mirror and headed downstairs.

“Morning, Dad,” she mumbled as she went into the kitchen.

“Good morning! Nutella or jam today?” Drew asked, plating up two slices of toast that had just popped up.

Rin’s throat and stomach clenched in unison at the thought of how either of the options would taste. Still, she’d need some kind of energy boost to get her through the afternoon.

“I’m not hungry, Dad,” she said, hopefully quickly enough that he wouldn’t have time to notice anything was wrong. “Can I take some coffee though?”

“’Course. Milk’s still in the fridge.”

Rin nodded and turned to fetch it.

“I’ll put it in a travel cup for you,” Drew added with a grin as he reached for the pot. “Your mam’s like a headless chicken this morning, so I don’t know if you’ll have time to drink it before she’s bundling you into the car.”

By the time Rin had carried the milk carton to the countertop, there was a jingling of keys in the hallway, and Claire’s voice calling out;

“Are you right, love?”

Drew’s grin deepened as he handed over the Thermos cup to Rin. “What’d I say?”

“Coming, Mam,” Rin called back, making a face at her dad and mouthing Kill me. The heavy sensation in the pit of her stomach came back with a vengeance as she grabbed her jacket from the front hall. It was going to be a long damn day.

_

Rin couldn’t decide which was more overpowering; the lingering fog of hairspray that just didn’t seem to leave the circumference of her skull, or the smell of her mother’s perfume. If her mood had been just the slightest bit worse, she might have snapped and demanded to know who on earth put on perfume for a photograph; the lipstick and eyeliner that Claire had slapped on could be understood, but perfume?

“Smile, Rin,” Drew chuckled from behind the chunky camera. “Let’s see those teeth. Or were those four years of orthodontist visits just for fun?”

Rin sighed and melted into a smile, tilting her head a little closer to Claire’s as the camera clicked a flashed. She loved her parents, she really did; she just sometimes wished they weren’t so damn conventional.

“We done?” she asked.

“Done,” Drew said.

Rin grunted and let her posture fall a little slack. The damn shoes were already killing her, and if she hadn’t been wearing mostly black, she’d have been worried about pit stains. She could practically feel the foundation melting off of her face as her mother leaned in for one last hug before she had to run.

“Have fun, love,” Claire instructed, scooping her work bag up from the hallway floor. “I can’t wait to hear all about it tomorrow.”

Rin nodded. “Have a good night at work.”

Claire blew a kiss as she was going out the door. Rin glanced through to the kitchen, to where Drew was already engrossed in reviewing the pictures he’d taken on the camera’s little screen. The clock on the wall behind him told her that she had about fifteen minutes before she had to leave.

Her knees suddenly felt weak, and her stomach – not that it hadn’t been bothering her all day – lurched dangerously close to her throat. All she’d had that day was a toasted cheese sandwich and the latte, when Claire had dragged her to a little café once her hair and make-up appointments were finished with. She could suddenly taste the slightly charred crusts of the bread, and the rich, frothy coffee burned deep in her chest.

She stole one last glance to see that her father was still preoccupied before letting herself bring a hand to her mouth. Breathe, she told herself, drawing air in through her nose even though it was still somehow thick with hairspray. The breath seemed to catch in her throat, and the pain in her stomach seemed to drop lower and rise higher all at once.

Rin’s knees had all but buckled by the time she’d kicked off the lacey heeled shoes. The layers of black and pink tulle in her dress rustled as she turned and hurried up the stairs, feet thumping lightly in their delicate, sheer black tights.

The first retch caught her by surprise, before she’d made it to the toilet. She clapped her other hand to her mouth, hoping to create a vacuum and prevent anything from dripping down onto her dress. The sick was hot, and with nowhere else to go, she felt it smear against her lips and the end of her nose.

The sensation and the smell were enough to draw out another deep heave, accompanied by a belch this time. Luckily, she’d just about made it to the toilet, so she let herself double over and yanked her hands away with a quick prayer that her dress was out of the splash zone.

Rin coughed and let another wave of puke stream into the toilet, and then she clenched her teeth. She reached for the toilet paper and got her hands as clean as she could before taking off her glasses and gathering up the tulle skirts. She held the fabric in as tight a knot as she could. Her belly ached and gurgled as it waited for her to get into position again. As it shot another reminder of her lunch into her mouth, Rin couldn’t help but feel relieved that she’d decided on having her hair put into an updo; things would have been ten times worse if she’d also been attempting to keep hair out of her face too.

“Shit,” she whimpered to herself as she managed to straighten up. She was a little dizzy, but most of the pain in her belly seemed to ease off. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands and inspected herself for mess. All that was out of place was some ruined foundation around her mouth, and a little leakage in her eyeliner. Luckily the lash glue had stayed in place when her eyes had started watering.

She brushed her teeth, raced to her bedroom, and touched her makeup up as best she could with her own eyeliner and a powder foundation she hadn’t used in months. Her eyes were still a little bloodshot, but at least she had a little longer to recover before she got to the venue and had to smile for more photographs.

_

“Docs.”

When Shayne had seen Charlie emerge from the passenger side of Ingrid’s car, he’d looked down, starting to kick softly at the kerb. There was a feeling in his stomach he couldn’t put words to, and he had to focus carefully on his breathing. That was when he’d heard Charlie’s voice, and his head had snapped up.

Charlie’s hair was freshly cut and gelled perfectly in place, and his suit jacket and pants almost matched the deep navy of the night sky. He’d stopped a few metres away, lingering on the path, looking a bit like he’d just seen a plague of locusts heading their way.

“You wore your Docs?”

Shayne glanced down at his feet. It hadn’t occurred to him to get new shoes to go with the simple black suit that Nancy had bought for him. He now realised he should have at least taken out the rainbow laces in the right boot and put the original black ones in for the night, but it was too late for that now.

He felt heat gather in his cheeks as he cleared his throat. “You look nice enough for both of us, Charlie.”

“I never said you didn’t -” Charlie blinked as he fought back a smile, the slightest hint of a blush crossing his cheeks too. “Thanks. I - I’m glad you remembered the tie.”

“’Course I remembered the tie,” Shayne mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and feeling like a teenager getting scolded. “You only mentioned it about sixty times and threatened to cut my head off.”

“I would never.” Charlie put a hand on the back of Shayne’s head, pulling it closer to he could kiss his forehead. “I like this head too much.”

Shayne’s stomach did a little flip. He leaned into the kiss, resting his forehead on Charlie’s shoulder as soon as he was allowed. “I’m so nervous.”

“That’s okay,” Charlie sighed. “You should have felt how fast my heart was pounding when I first saw you.”

_

Drew looked up from sweeping the kitchen floor, laying the brush against the countertop, as Rin walked towards the kitchen, carrying her shoes with her fingers looped through the backs of them. She stood in the doorway to the front hall, one hand on the doorframe, the other smoothing down the side of her dress.

He frowned as he noticed her expression. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he pulled out a kitchen chair, desperately trying to deduce if she was paler than usual under all that makeup.

“Dad, I...” Rin gave a slight shake of her head, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. “I don’t feel right.”

“Here, come and sit down. Do you want some water?”

Rin nodded as she scooped as much fabric into her lap as she could, and sat down sideways at the table. She rubbed at the side of her head, hoping at the last second that she wasn’t pulling her hair loose from its pins and spray.

Her stomach had mostly calmed, at least, but the sense of impending doom hadn’t been lifted. She’d made the mistake of checking her phone before coming back downstairs, and had been met with pictures of Katie and Ashley taking selfies with their dates, looking like movie stars getting ready for the red carpet. And here she was, feeling queasy and pathetic and lonely.

“There you go, love,” Drew said evenly as he laid a glass of water close to her elbow. He pulled out a chair for himself so he could sit at an angle to her front, folding his hands awkwardly across his knees. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Not unless you can cancel out the last year of my life, or better yet the last eight years, so that I was never friends with Katie, or the rest of them, and maybe make it so that I was home-schooled instead, so I don’t have to go to this stupid tradition on my own and be embarrassed and awkward and –

Rin folded her arms around her waist and held back a sob. “No, Dad, it’s – it’s okay, I just…”

“Just what, love?”

Rin covered her mouth and shook her head. The words on her tongue were too strong, and she could already feel them echo down through the years of the rest of her life. “I don’t – I don’t want to go.”

Drew shifted his weight. “Well, why don’t we take a few minutes, and really think about this, and if that’s still what you want –”

“I don’t want a few minutes,” Rin said quickly, knowing she’d change her mind if she was given the chance to think too much. “I really don’t want to go, Dad. Tonight’s supposed to be about celebrating with your friends, and I don’t have... I don’t have those. If I go, I’m just going to have to hear them all laughing, and having a great time, and –”

Rin’s spiralling train of thought was cut short by a knock on the front door, which was in clear view of where she was sat. She frowned as she saw movement either side of the fogged glass surrounding the door, and she glanced at her dad, wondering why he hadn’t gotten up to see who was there.

Instead of that, he had taken on a shy smile.

“You might want to answer that, love.”

Rin blinked harshly, reaching up under the rims of her glasses in case she’d let any tears slip out while she’d been panicking. Her ankles wobbled slightly as she made her way to the door, hands trembling as she opened it.

The first thing she saw was the corsage being held out to her. A pale lily on a band on pearl-esque beads. Rin looked up in shock at Charlie’s face, which gave off an uncharacteristically shy grin.

“Evening, my lady,” he said.

“Ch-Charlie Bear?” Rin’s jaw fell open as he took her hand. No, it wasn’t him taking her hand, it was Shayne. She looked at him too, thinking surely, she must have hit her head or dehydrated or something.

As Shayne lifted her arm, Charlie slipped the corsage onto her wrist. As soon as it was in place, Rin pressed both hands to her face, quickly removing her glasses so she could dab at the fresh wave of tears.

“Thank – thank you, it’s – it’s lovely, it –”

“Hey – oh no, Rin,” Charlie cooed, gently easing her hands down from her face. “You’re going to smudge your makeup –”

“What’re – what’re you two even doing here?” Rin half-laughed, half-sobbed, finally feeling as though she could use her vocal cords.

She slipped her glasses back on, the strangled sounds quickly dissolving into giggles as she took in the sight of them both – Shayne in black and Charlie in deep blue – standing on her doorstep. She managed to focus on the one thing they had matching, which were the widely-cut, silky ties in a shade of pale-yet-vibrant pink.

“Why are – oh my god, do both your ties match my dress?”

Charlie’s grin only deepened as Rin reached out to playfully slap him on the arm. When she looked at Shayne, she couldn’t bring herself to even pretend to hit him, so instead she threw her arms around his neck. He tensed a little, and she felt him draw a sharp breath, so she didn’t hold onto him for too long.

“Oh my god, you two,” she gasped as she stepped back, fanning her eyes and hoping somehow that would dry up the tears that kept seeming to spring up. “You’re two absolute babes, you know that?”

“Two Prince Charmings, huh?” Drew laughed, rocking up behind Rin and planting a hand on her shoulder. “Both here to take Rinderella to the ball.”

Shayne made a sound that might have been a nervous laugh if he’d let it develop, but he quickly covered his mouth to stop it as Charlie and Rin both threw him curious looks.

“Oh my god, the ties,” Rin whimpered as she looked at the pink ties yet again. She jabbed Charlie in the arm. “No wonder you were showing so much interest in what my dress looked like.”

“How are you feeling, love?” Drew asked sincerely. He showed her that he’d taken her clutch bag from the hallway, so she wouldn’t have to go look for anything before she had to leave. Rin took it gratefully and turned back to kiss her dad on the cheek.

Rin looked at the two boys and sniffled. “I’m good, I – I’m good to go.”

[cooperjones2020]

What’s Past is Prologue, What to Come, pt. 5

Summary: He wanted to hit whoever made Betty cry. He wanted to hit Betty so she’d keep crying. Interrelated vignettes from Jughead Jones’s obsession with Betty Cooper. Dark!Jug, Creepy!Jug, Stalker!Jug, generally Sociopathic!Jug.

A/N: Do we know when Betty’s birthday is? For the sake of this chapter, we’re going to pretend it’s in the summer/near the summer.

TW: implied violence, baby Jug being a sociopath (for this chapter specifically, check the other tags on ao3)

(parts one, two, three, and four)

ao3—>http://archiveofourown.org/works/11394858/chapters/26649090

“This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom murder board before it was trashed.” Kevin pushed a pin into the cork board and turned around. They were in the Blue and Gold office during their lunch break, Betty dragging Kevin into what was normally their time together. But, if it helped the case, he supposed he could put up with it.

“Any leads on who did that? And what they were looking for?” Jughead asked, before returning to chewing on his thumb nail.

“Nope. No fingerprints.” Kevin moved to face Betty. “But they stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audiotapes of police interviews.”

Before she could respond, Jughead heard the sound of the doorknob turning. His head whipped to meet the new intrusion before Betty or Kevin did. Trev Brown leaned in.

“Oh. Hey, Betty.” He gave an awkward little wave and smiled at her. Everyone smiled at her.

“Trev, hi.” Betty stood up, pulling down the back of her sweater. Her back was turned to Jughead, but he could hear the happiness in her voice.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay. We’re just, ah, working on—”

“Our murder board.” Jughead couldn’t resist. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Trev til the other boy blinked.

“Well, I just wanted to make sure we’re still on for tomorrow.”

“Absolutely. It’s a date.” Jughead felt all the blood drain to his feet. “I mean, I’ll—I’ll see you there. Bye.”

“Uh, see you.” Trev backed out of the room, still smiling at Betty.

“Uh, bye.”

“Going on a date with Trev. Does Mama Cooper know about that?” For the second time that day, and ever, Jughead had a reason to be thankful to Kevin Keller. He wouldn’t have been able to put into so many words. Or any words. A toneless roar filled his chest cavity.

“Kev, I’m not on house arrest,” Betty spluttered. “Okay, she’s out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat. Anyway, I mean—it’s not a ‘date’ date.” Betty moved toward the back of the room, away from the two of them.

He found his words. “You just called it a date. You literally said, ‘It’s a date.’” This was the most stereotypical conversation he’d ever been a part of.

“That’s just my cover. Really it’s an intelligence gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have access to that your dad doesn’t—the kids at Riverdale High. You know, maybe Trev knows something about Jason he didn’t think was important.”

So Jughead let her talk him down, let her suck him back into the case until he could ignore the voice inside him that wanted to hit something. Mostly because he didn’t have another choice in the moment. He could feel his heartbeat in the air around them.

One year, Betty got an American girl doll for her birthday. For over a month beforehand, she had subjected Jughead to repeated viewings of the catalogue—Archie wouldn’t sit still long enough to make it past the first couple of pages. She’d gotten a Truly Me doll. And it was truly her, right down to the blonde hair and green eyes and the silly pink sweater it wore.

For a few weeks, she took the doll with her everywhere. It accompanied them to the playground and the woods. It even came on the day trip to the beach Mr. and Mrs. Andrews planned. She’d annoyed Jughead that day. She wouldn’t swim with him. She insisted the Betty doll couldn’t get wet, and instead sat on a towel brushing the doll’s hair.

He’d never been to the beach before. He couldn’t swim like Archie. Normally when he was scared, Betty was there to hold his hand without him having to tell her. He didn’t know how to tell her. So he stood in the water up to his waist and watched Archie splash in the waves and Betty sit on the sand. He tried to play catch with Archie and Mr. Andrews but he wasn’t good at throwing. Every time he tried to get out, to go sit with Betty, Mrs. Andrews would shoo him back toward the shoreline, telling him Betty was okay and he should swim. He knew she was okay. He wasn’t.

Betty had broken the unspoken rules that gave him order and made up for all the things that happened when he wasn’t with her and Archie.

Then one day, Archie told him Betty was grounded. She’d lost her Betty doll. Archie had been able to hear the sound of Mrs. Cooper yelling right through his front windows.

That night, when his dad had passed out and his mom had locked herself in the bedroom with his sister and a blaring television set, Jughead snuck out of the front door of the trailer. He slid through the darkness back to Archie’s house. He had a knack for opening the gate silently and creeping along the fence line so Vegas wouldn’t hear him and bark. He scurried up the ladder and catapulted his backpack into the treehouse ahead of him. Once inside, he crouched on his heels and pulled out the Nancy Drew binoculars and his pocket knife.

Betty sat on her bed, reading a book. Her nose looked swollen. Betty being grounded wasn’t a new occurrence, but it was one Jughead always took full advantage of. It was his favorite of Alice Cooper’s regular rotation of punishments. When she was grounded, she was easier to watch. He always knew where she was. He always knew she was safe. Alice Cooper may have yelled but she never did anything more.

He wanted to keep Betty safe so no one could hurt her. So no one else could hurt her. But him. He didn’t want her to hurt a lot. Not a lot. Just enough for her face to turn red and the tears to well up. Sort of like she looked like now. Like when his father grabbed his mother’s wrist too tightly. Not a lot, just a little.

He reached back into his backpack and pulled out the Betty doll. Her hair was all messed up from being inside the bag. He used his fingers to smooth it out. He turned her upside down and watched the little plastic eyelids open and shut.

Then he balanced her on his knee and pulled her skirt so it bunched with the pink sweater. He picked up his pen knife with his other hand and carved a crown into the Betty doll’s plastic thigh.

The worst thing about hope was that it grew like a weed. Since he’d found her diary, Betty Cooper had consumed even more of his thoughts, waking and asleep. He was right when he thought she was getting better after Archie gave her feelings back to her. But he hadn’t foreseen the other things the journal would tell him, the ways it would rearrange the pieces of her in his mind. He also hadn’t foreseen Trev Brown. Trev Brown did not fit with those new pieces.

And so, he had to make sure Trev Brown did not screw those pieces up. Not when he’d just begun to probe their meaning. So, he sat in his usual booth in the diner, laptop out, headphones on. No music playing.

Betty waved at him when she came in, Trev holding the door behind her. She looked so beautiful in her soft pink sweater—a new one, he noticed. And her lips were a few shades darker, a little shiny looking. He couldn’t decide if he was angry she’d dressed up for her not-date or thankful that he got to see her. So he kept his headphones in and pretended he didn’t notice her wave. Then she sat with her back to him in a booth two rows up.

Perfect. Just close enough that he could eavesdrop.

After a few minutes of small talk that made Jughead want to eat his napkin, Trev said, “I think it’s great what you guys are doing for Jason.” Here we go. He hunched forward so it would look like he was typing away furiously, but really it brought his head that much closer to the back of Betty’s.

“You two were on the water polo team together. Were you guys close?”

Trev leaned forward at that point and dropped his voice, so Jughead couldn’t hear what he said. But Betty’s voice rang clear as crystal in his ear. He was pretty sure he could be dead and he’d still hear Betty’s voice.

“Do you know why?”

“I thought it was about your sister, to be honest. They’d been dating a few weeks when he changed.” Jughead risked a glance up from his computer to see Trev’s face. He looked like a kicked puppy, desperate and nauseating.

“Changed? In what way?”

“We stopped hanging out. He wouldn’t call me back, and then—” Jughead couldn’t hear what Trev said next, but he saw Betty’s ponytail swish back and forth. “Anything he could sell for cash, he was hawking.” Trev’s volume had increased, but now it dropped to a whisper.

The next thing Jughead could make out was Betty saying, “And all of this started after Jason and Polly got together?”

Over the edge of his laptop, Jughead saw Trev nod. Bingo. He knew Polly was involved. Now he just had to look surprised when Betty told him.

Betty stayed for another forty-five minutes or so. Not that he looked at the clock. They talked about school and sports and Betty’s work to restart the paper. What Jughead supposed normal teenagers usually talked about.

After they paid their bill, Trev offered to walk her home but she demurred, saying her mom was expecting her at the Register. When Trev got up to leave, Betty flicked a glance at him before going to the bathroom. Any other day, he would have gotten her silent signal to stay. That Alice wasn’t expecting her. That she was waiting for him. Any other day and he would have rooted himself into the cracked vinyl of the booth, ready to plant himself until Betty released him.

But not today.

Jughead quickly closed his laptop and stowed it in his bag. As soon as the door to the diner had closed behind Trev, he hazarded a glance at the door to the women’s bathroom. It was still firmly shut. So Jughead slid out of the booth and hurried after Betty’s not-date.

Trev Brown wouldn’t be bothering them again.